Artist-Run Initiatives

  E T A J is an artist-run space, a catalyst that focuses on the efficiency of the contemporary artistic object within the local context. Some artists have grouped themselves into the idea of conceiving a cultural cell. Through their journey, but also in their connection there is no conventional model. Whether it is a group exhibition, a solo one or other events originated here, the principles of the artistic practice and a sense of authenticity are those guiding the initial collective actions at E T A J.  

  PADA is an artist led, not for profit, arts association, unique in its support to artists. As a cultural resource, PADA promotes interaction between national and international artists, the local community and surrounding region. Set in a derelict industrial park with a history dating back to 1885, PADA offers artists time and space to develop their practice through the exploration of technique and process. PADA is located in the picturesque town of Barreiro, a medium-sized city on the South Bank of the River Tagus (20 minutes from Lisbon by ferry). Barreiro was the main industrial city in Portugal and Spain until 1970 and is known for its political and industrial history. Since the 70’s, Barreiro has been slowly redefining its identity, without losing its main characteristics inherited from history. Barreiro is known for its cooperation, creativity, resilience and hospitality, combined with a strong sense of identity and connection with the ever-present river Tagus. PADA is located in the old textile area of CUF’s Industrial Park, and today, is surrounded by light industry and various fabrication businesses. Large sections of the area are in ruins and the remains of what was once a large industrial power now stand empty and […]

  Gallery Rostrum is located in Malmö, Sweden and was founded in 1985. Operating as an artist-run, non-profit exhibition space, we present an annual programme of broad and varied contemporary art through exhibitions, art-projects and cultural events. The members of Rostrum are all active artists from various backgrounds, nationalities and individual artistic practices. Part of Rostrum´s core strength is in the way we manage our diversity to enable us to generate new angles and approaches to art and art practice. Together we strive to be in close dialogue with the audience, with the aim of broadening the art scene and initiating new pathways for art.  

Art Lab is a peer group meet-up for artists and art practitioners to discuss their work, concurrent ideas and critical thinking. Artists can present oeuvres, a selection of work, performances or work in progress to test out on a supportive audience. It’s open to anyone who would like to attend and contribute constructively. Art Lab is for sharing ideas, mutual learning, peer support and networking. The format is 3-4 presentations by artists/practitioners about their work/ideas/interests: 10-15 minute presentation followed by 10 minute Q&A each with a midway refreshment break. Art Lab welcomes all art practitioners at any stage in their career and operates a safe space policy. Art Lab is coordinated by Halifax based artist/curator Alice Bradshaw https://www.alicebradshaw.co.uk/ If you would like to present at any of the 2019 Art Labs please email Alice [email protected] with a brief outline of what you would like to talk about and whether you require any technical support eg projector/laptop to show images/video.

  The F Project is an ARI based in Warrnambool, Australia. Established in 2008, The F Project aims to encourage and support artists and contemporary arts practice, and creatively explore social issues and engagement with the community. The F Project space hosts a gallery, shop, workshop spaces, studios and a residency. It is run entirely by volunteers. Acting as a lobby voice for the provision of facilities and programs where artists can produce and exhibit work, where artists and the community can work together, and where a range of information and support services are available to artists and the community, The F Project is a positive force in shaping the cultural and creative life in the Victorian Arts community.  

  98B COLLABoratory is an artist-run initiative and space in Manila, Philippines. We are a community + network + library + kitchen + shop. The idea is to have a setting where artists and creative individuals from other disciplines can interact and work together while presenting art, design and creativity in different ways; be it a talk, a bazaar, a publication, a meal or a simple gathering.  It is a multi-disciplinary art laboratory that seeks to establish a convergence with artists, designers, curators, writers, musicians, film makers, activists, educators, researchers, cultural workers, performers, architects and students together with the general public. Brief Background 98B was established in January 2012 by Mark Salvatus (visual artist) and Mayumi Hirano (curator and researcher) as a response to the need for alternative venues in Manila. Salvatus opened up his studio and residence to respond to this dearth; 98B is his address. July of 2012 provided us with an opportune playground to frolic in – Escolta, Manila.  Marika Constantino (visual artist and curator), Gabriel Villegas (magazine art director) together with 98B’s Founders, direct the team’s various programs and activities towards creative sharing, discussion and collaboration.  The 98B Team has ten founding members and is currently run by seven members […]

Picasso Pupils is an art society with the branch in India and in Slovakia whose main mission is to provide a platform for cultural exchange. The main aim is to use art as a language between diverse cultures. The organization arrange art residency programmes, exhibitions and educational activities in India and in Slovakia which share the ideas of togetherness between diverse cultures, preservation of traditional and contemporary art and spread the art education and social awareness through art. NORTH EAST INDIA: Picasso Pupils (An Art Society) Meghalaya, 793003 SLOVAKIA: PPIAC, Slovensko, Myjava 90701, Slovakia Europe

  Loading is an artist-run space in Diyarbakir, Turkey that aims to enrich contemporary art dialogue in the city and foster links between the region and the international art world. Loading engages with its community by its public programme which consists of artist & curator talks and workshops, as well as its art book library. Previous guest speakers include Gabi Ncgobo (curator, 10th Berlin Biennale), Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli (curator, Manifesta 12), and Hale Tenger (artist). Loading also has an ongoing archival project of archiving contemporary art practices in Diyarbakir. Loading was founded by artists Erkan Özgen, Cengiz Tekin and Şener Özmen. What started out as a project to connect with and mentor younger artists evolved into a platform that breeds new perspectives to the ways not only artists but also locals of other professions situate art making. Loading fosters a strong sense of community and garners contemporary art not just more approachable but also far more intertwined with this community.

The ZK/U ZK/U seeks to develop projects, co-produce knowledge and share values created through exchanges. ZK/U does not offer a fixed set of ideas and principles for its fellows. Rather, individual projects and needs shape what could be described as a continuous formation. Instead of letting the ‘final product’ constrain the possible routes that a practice might take, ZK/U focuses on the processes that come from, and feed into, the particular contexts of the fellows’ practice, whether they be locally-defined situations or international discourses. THE ORGANIZATION BEHIND ZK/U: KUNSTREPUBLIK The ZK/U concept and practice were initiated by the artist collective and non-profit organization KUNSTrePUBLIK e.V.. The association managed to become the owner of the former railway depot and holds a 40 year lease on the ground. KUNSTrePUBLIK‘s concepts and projects are equally focused on local involvement and global exchange. Coming from non-institutional backgrounds, the founders aspire to continue exploring ways of collaborating, researching and creating, that go beyond the lines of existing structures and preconceptions. As part of their artistic practice, KUNSTrePUBLIK considers the development of ZK/U a long-term process that will evolve through the contributions and critical feedback expressed by its participants, partners and a diverse audience. KUNSTrePUBLIK is […]

Studioname Leicester C.i.C a not for profit, creative community hub linking the Leicester’s cultural quarter with the St Matthews community. studionAme Leicester C.i.C believes that making art and the ability to be creative are central to the improvement of peoples lives and therefor central to the success of our communities. Art should not exclude through language or access when it has the ability to set people free by engendering creative thinking and expression. As artists taking over a post industrial space in a neglected part of the city, it falls upon us to seed new ways of working and living together. No longer reliant on the old broken models but the creators of a truly inclusive, sharing economies, using creative language and skills as our medium of exchange. Studioname Ltd is based on the 1st floor of 2 Brougham Street. Studios are costed at a flat rate that includes all heating, wifi, water, power and critical support where asked for. All artists have use of the kitchens, toilets and communal areas. The studios are all 24 hour 365 days a year access. Studios have open doors to help foster the cross pollination of ideas and open up a creative discourse […]

  BOOT AIR is the name of an artist-in-residence program located in the town of Nishiaizu in Fukushima, Japan. Located in the north west corner of the prefecture, Nishiaizu is surrounded by a vast landscape of mountains, rivers, and farmland. The artist-in-residence program is part of the Nishiaizu International Art Village; a half-century old wooden school building that has been transformed into a gallery, workshop, and cultural gathering space. All types of artists (visual artists, designers, musicians, performers, cooks, architects, engineers, etc…) are welcomed to apply for the program regardless of stature (professional, amateur, student). The program’s key concepts involve: (1) sustainable community, (2) learning from traditional environmental culture, (3) recreating an environmental symbiosis lifestyle, and (4) revitalizing the depopulated community through cultural exchange. It is for this reason that we ask applicants to submit a short proposal of what they wish to work on and how it can relate to the community of Nishiaizu. Nishiaizu is ideal for artists who would like a quiet and natural atmosphere to concentrate and create while being open to learning and inspiration from the rich culture, customs, and people of a local rural community in Japan.  

  Warehouse 4726 is a working artist studio space in The Bird Road Arts District in Miami. Operated by visual artists Jean Blackwell Font and Ignacio Font as Font Squared, in partnership with Rosie Gordon-Wallace, Founder and Director of Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator. As members of the visual arts community here in Miami, we realize the power of the arts and collaboration; our goal is to support visual artists to mature and to think deeper through offering affordable studio space, artist exposure, and career development. We offer creativity and development workshops as part of a community outreach effort in a neighborhood that has been quietly developing an artists’ community for decades.Visits available by appointment, or check our events page for open house nights and other happenings.        

  Im_flieger is a project by artists for artists: a research facility and developmental lab. Im_flieger operates as an independent association and is located in Vienna. Im_flieger creates since the year 2000 a free public space for dance, performance and related art forms, enabling contemporary artistic publication, discourse, research, creation, artists mobility, exchange and the growing necessity of fostering links between artists, cultural actors and creative spaces through local, national and international networking. Dance/Performance is seen in a wider scope, encompassing the broader sense of the term, which focuses on the whole process of artistic creation as a potential and medium of communication. Im_flieger supports artists actively in developing new working concepts and structures of artistic cooperation, moreover, the creation and presentation of performance art is facilitated without the pressure of common event and production practice. Im_flieger is an emancipatory model that requires awareness about the links of aesthetic, political and social perspectives, as well as an understanding about the field of tension they create in the artistic production.  

  VUNU is a cultural organisation devoted to young contemporary art. In 2018, it follows the VUNU Gallery project established in 2016 and collaborates with numerous local and foreign partners. The mission of the organisation is to provide a platform for the presentation of the contemporary creations and productions of young Slovak or foreign artists, whether in the gallery or during the audiovisual events organized by the VUNU.  

  In collaboration with Inca Town hall and Inquietart artist association. We run a contemporary art festival in the center of Mallorca island. It’s a plural itinerary where one can discover different disciplines and artworks displayed in public and private spaces. The next edition will take place on May 2020, the open call is usually in January or February. INCART was created 13 years ago in Inca, Mallorca, as an initiative of a group of people related to art. The association Inquietart and the Cultural Area of ​​the City Council of Inca, give life to a project through an open call for creators to present their proposals for the different spaces.   És un itinerari plural a on l’art es mostra a partir de les seves múltiples disciplines a diferents espais, tant públics com privats, de la ciutat d’Inca. La propera edició tindra lloc el Maig de 2020, la convocatoria de projectes es a principis d’any. INCART es va gestar fa 13 anys a Inca, Mallorca, com a iniciativa d’un grup de persones vinculades amb l’art, l’objectiu de la qual era acostar l’art al ciutadà. L’associació d’artistes Inquietart, juntament amb l’Àrea de Cultura de l’Ajuntament d’Inca, donen vida a un […]

  Fluctuating images is an independent, non-commercial platform for media art and media design, established 2004 in Stuttgart, since 2008 in Berlin. The focus of its transdisciplinary curatorial and scientific approach are audiovisual productions (visualization of music) as well as developments in art, design, architecture, music, dance and film.  

  Exgirlfriend is a contemporary art exhibition space established by Elena Feijoo in Berlin-Steglitz in 2016. Since then, the gallery has moved its location to a 150 square meter hall within the larger HER arts building in Alt-Mariendorf. Exgirlfriend has been showcasing 7 innovative exhibitions by local and international emerging artists each year alongside a wide-ranging external programming schedule. At the end of each year, Exgirlfriend hosts an open call for which all project types and applicants are eligible. Exgirlfriend is in a constant state of flux determined by its changing cultural context as well as by everyone who has a relationship with the space—collaborators, artists, and audiences.

    Pallas Projects/Studios (founded 1996) is a not-for-profit artist-run organisation dedicated to the facilitation of artistic production and discourse, via the provision of affordable artists studios in Dublin’s city centre, and curated projects. Pallas Projects is an umbrella label for a variety of spaces, exchanges, off-site projects, exhibitions, talks, resource programmes, research and publications conceived of and put into practice over a 20-year period. Our research project and publication ‘Artist-Run Europe’ (Onomatopee, Eindhoven, 2016), included contributions from AA Bronson, Transmission Gallery, Gavin Wade, Céline Kopp & Alun Williams, and featured essays, case studies, and an index of over 500 European artist-run spaces. www.artist-run.eu  

  Coventry Biennial celebrates and promotes contemporary art, producing high quality exhibitions, activities and events in one of the UK’s most creative and industrious cities. This biennial festival is deeply connected to Coventry, its histories and wider context, but also retains an outward looking perspective, ensuring that the programme has wider appeal, significance and impact. Now working towards our second festival in 2019, we are also looking forward to contributing to Coventry taking the title of UK City of Culture in 2021 and we intend to play a significant part in attracting local, national and international audiences to experience the distinctive voices, rich culture and diversity inherent to Coventry. Our programme occupies unexpected sites in the city such as historic buildings, community centres, empty retail units, theatres and public spaces as well as more traditional gallery and museum spaces. This invites new audiences leading to distinctive interactions with both the works on display and the city. The biennial is artist-led, meaning that it was founded by, is owned by and is run by artists and aims to provide meaningful opportunities for practitioners at all stages of their careers, from recent graduates to established artists, with peer-to-peer development opportunities embedded into […]

  Arts Letters & Numbers (ALN) is a non-profit arts and education organization dedicated to fostering creative exchanges across a broad range of disciplines including architecture, visual arts, theatre arts, film, music, humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Operating globally, regionally and locally, ALN seeks to bring together artists of diverse backgrounds, practices and ages. It conducts programs in educational and cultural institutions worldwide, collaborating with universities, high schools, museums, theatre companies, and community organizations. In addition, the organization runs an ongoing interdisciplinary artist-in-residence program, as well as educational workshops, sessions, exhibitions and events, taking place year-round at ‘The Mill’ located in Upstate, NY.